Abstract: Access is granted to a portion of a computing system, such as to a configuration menu of a telephone system. In order to grant access, a password is received from a user. A variable password is also calculated. The variable password varies with time. For example, the variable password varies with a current date and with a time of day stored by the computing system. The password received from the user is compared with the calculated variable password. When the password received from the user is equal to the calculated variable password, access is granted.

Abstract: A method apparatus for selectively passing various types of telephony information between a data communications port on a digital telephone and a computer run application program. In one embodiment, the application program can select a subset of telephony events by way of a telephony command to the telephone's data communication port. This command is processed by a telephony command processor within the data communications controller which, in turn, sets a programmable event mask within the telephone. In response to the event mask being set, only the selected telephony events are spontaneously reported to the host computer and application program.

Abstract: The present invention is a digital telephone control interface system that provides a programmable control to the keys of a digital feature telephone. The programmable control selectively masks the keys present on a telephone and prevents masked keys from being directly responded to by the telephone or routed to the telephone switching network. While the keys are masked, the programmable control can suppress, delay, modify or enhance the key events produced by the masked keys as directed by the application software being run by the programmable control.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for escaping from transparent mode in which the Data Communication Equipment will escape from transparent mode (into command mode) if a user programmed escape character string is received in coincidence with the toggling of a control signal such as Request To Send (RTS). Advantageously, this escape method can be used in conjunction with time/data escape methods that are based soley on activity on the received data line. When the two methods are used together, a supervisor program or control device can force an escape notwithstanding the user programmed time constraint parameters in the DCC.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for connecting a programmable computing device to a digital telephone via an adapter. The digital telephone includes an option bay connection, having a hierarchical control protocol. The option bay connection makes available several types of information including local analog audio, and analog voice, digital voice, digital data and telephone control streams. The adapter passes the telephony control data to and from a programmable computing device such as a personal computer, enabling an application operating on the computing device to control or monitor the operation of the telephone. The adapter includes a microcontroller and an interface for a serial port and can thus be connected to the serial port of the programmable computing device.

Abstract: A telephone includes means for switching the LEDs, on the face of the phone, between a normal operating mode in which the lights indicate the status of telephony features, such as mute or hold, to a diagnostic operating mode in which the LEDs indicate the status of the telephone's data communications signals. The modes are toggled by entry of a code on the telephone keypad or by way of a command from a workstation coupled to the telephone by way of a data communications port.